2016 TdF, Stage 8: Pau → Bagnères-de-Luchon (184km)

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Purito quietly riding very well so far.

He's hardly been mentioned at all and he's sitting 3rd now. Not sure if he can podium but a top 5 is definitely possible

He's riding well, but for now i'm going for a top-10. He's at the level of his Vuelta last year. Don't forget the Tour is the biggest race with the highest level.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

What the hell are Bora doing allowing Buchmann to ride for 30th on GC or something? His GC is over, he should be dropping time and trying to get in breaks on mountain days. Yet here he is pulling on the front of the Contador group, trying to limit his losses.

German TV went crazy over the sight of him finishing in front of Barguil and Contador. So job well done. His goal is to finish Top 20, and he looks to be on a good way. He's not aggressive enough (yet) for wins from breaks.

Good God, top 20 as an actual goal. I'd be going nuts about that if I was a German commentator, but it wouldn't be an admiring sort of nuts.

 

[TMP402]

Froome didn't know he went into yellow.

 

[rick james]

Re:

Idiotic by Froome and I can see him paying for it hard tomorrow

and the others chasing him didn't suffer?

 

[Publicus]

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Looking back now, maybe that whole Majka incident was to make the others think he was going for KoM, so when he attacked over the final climb, Movistar caught out by Froome not sitting up after the acceleration

It's entirely possible. I'm really impressed with how Froome pulled this off today. Really impressed.

 

[Miburo]

Quintana wasn't caught off guard, he just decided to not take any responsibility.

 

[bassano]

If it will be like previous years quintana will crash froome in Alps, he must be quite happy today
tomorrow+Ventoux is last chance for froome because one minute he will gain in TT but in Alps he will loose at least two

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Purito quietly riding very well so far.

He's hardly been mentioned at all and he's sitting 3rd now. Not sure if he can podium but a top 5 is definitely possible

Perhaps he might be on his own ninja mission.

Tbh he's not in the position (the rider) anymore to make the race. He was at the limit too on the Peyresourde.

He's just riding really well on the age of 37. Maybe he will attack in his homestage tomorrow.

 

[Descender]

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I don't know anybody on this forum anymore.

You came to stay or just another flash appearance? This forum kinda misses you.

Depends how often riders attack on descents from now on.

 

[dacooley]

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Great ride by Froome. Quintana to win Tour !

Pretty much this.

Froome said it was fun, but for me it is clear that Froome doesnt believe in his climbing

you probably want nairito to take the tour really really badly.

 

[deValtos]

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Did Froome accelerate at the top of the earlier climbs (and annoy everyone else in the process) so that they wouldn't react when he did it on the final climb? Quite clever.

Indeed this is a good point. :idea:

 

[GJB123]

I am not a fan of Froome by any means, but kudos to him for doing the unexpected and with some panache. I do think that Quintana looked supremely confident uphill. Froome less so. This is good, it means Quintana will have to attack. I hope he will. Take it to Froome and Sky already!

 

[vedrafjord]

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nice win and good ride from froome but taking 22 second for such a effort can cost him much more tomorrow

Whatever effort he did pedalling on the descent and on the very short bit of flat at the end is pretty insignificant compared to the effort of the 4 climbs before it. Whatever else happens this year, that descent is going to be one of the highlights.

I'd nearly prefer to see Quintana on some Pro Conti team or Giant Alpecin or something where he has to do it all himself in the mountains - 3 years of leading Movistar has turned him into a more boring rider who is content to be cautious.

 

[LosBrolin]

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Dan Martin looked surprisingly strong on the climb. Stayed consistently with Froome, Henao and Quintana when others were yo-yoing.

Exactly. Seems like his move to Andorra and training with longer climbs is really paying off.

 

[Andro]

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Quintana wasn't caught off guard, he just decided to not take any responsibility.

He grabbed a bottle, then Froome opened up a gab. It was the biggest textbook definition of "caught off guard" you're gonna get.

 

[bassano]

Re: Re:

Idiotic by Froome and I can see him paying for it hard tomorrow

and the others chasing him didn't suffer?

Quintana did not took single pull so definitelly not, he just followed wheels and he was OK with results

 

[Kokoso]

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Is Contador now going to ride for Kreuziger?

He should

bwa hahahaha... he'll definitely be around Kreuziger, but he'll probably attack and leave Kreuziger behind.. :lol: :lol:

??? Hysterical...and besides that?

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Great ride by Froome. Quintana to win Tour !

Pretty much this.

Froome said it was fun, but for me it is clear that Froome doesnt believe in his climbing

And Quintana doesn't believe he can win the tour. Wtf was that?

If you have some honor as a rider, you follow that attack and don't wait for piti like a ***.

Quintana was caught out. It's a mistake for sure !

I'm not sure Quintana could have done any more on the descent. It was the same when he got dropped on the Port de Bales descent a couple of years ago. He's just too light on these fairly steep, straight descents to stay with significantly heavier riders. He couldn't even hold Valverde's wheel some of the time - and it was the straight parts where Froome got his advantage, not the hairpins.

 

[Cervelo77]

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Froome would have been caught if the group worked. This was more a win of tactics and negative riding by others.

I would say disorganization more than negative. Movistar botched paying attention over the top for sure though.
Clearly Froome had scouted that descent though. You don't bomb it like he did without knowing every corner.

 

[AICA ribonucleotide]

Re: Re:

Idiotic by Froome and I can see him paying for it hard tomorrow

and the others chasing him didn't suffer?

There wasn't much of a chase really. The two BMC guys were the ones at the front for most of it.

 

[sir fly]

Just can't believe what have I just been watching.
That position is... Too much even for a slower and shorter descent.

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

All four jerseys are apparently held by British riders.

They still lost to Iceland and their pound is worth nothing.

Well, only one of the jersey holders is English and a lower pound means better exports. Like their cyclists.

 

[Hayabusa]

Re: Re:

Quintana wasn't caught off guard, he just decided to not take any responsibility.

He grabbed a bottle, then Froome opened up a gab. It was the biggest textbook definition of "caught off guard" you're gonna get.

It was a bit of both, he grabbed the bottle but when Froome went and he realised, he was looking for Valverde instantly.

 

[This Charming Man]

Froome, a worthy champion, way to go Chris!!!!

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Idiotic by Froome and I can see him paying for it hard tomorrow

and the others chasing him didn't suffer?

Quintana did not took single pull so definitelly not, he just followed wheels and he was OK with results

It was a long, fast descent. At times he was struggling to follow Valverde so it's not like he got an easy ride.